


Fluffy Love

by chaosfay



Series: Random Gifts Trades and One Shots [19]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Cats, Cute, F/F, Female Friendship, Fluff, Friendship, Kittens, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-26 08:31:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6231592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosfay/pseuds/chaosfay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone can do with a kitten in their home, and sometimes other surprises along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tafka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tafka/gifts).



A soft knock at the door was all that was needed to bring Merrill out of the book she was reading.  She set the book down, her page marked, and made her way to the door.

“Anders!  How can I help you?” 

In his arms was a covered basket.  “You mentioned you were feeling a little bored, and I found something to occupy your time.”  He handed her the basket.  “She’s due anytime now, and I’ve been too busy in the clinic to set up a nice den for her.

Opening the basket Merrill could see a pair of distinctly feline eyes looking at her.  “I’ll take good care of her!  What should I feed her, and how do I make a den?”

“She’s a little too heavy for hunting, but she loves just about any meat.  After she has the kittens you’ll have fewer mice to worry about.  As for a den, something like a homemade cave will work.  She’ll want her kittens safe.”  He reached into the basket and rubbed the side of the cat’s face.  “I think her name is Emmy; it’s the only name she responds to.  Now I have to get back to the clinic.  Let me know when she has the kittens.”

“I will.  Thank you!”  Merrill closed the door, and set the basket on the floor.  With the lid now open Emmy carefully climbed out.  “You’re so big!”  She extended a hand, and Emmy was only too happy for the attention, purring as Merrill rubbed the side of her face.  “How about we set up a nice den for you now?”

Emmy set to exploring her new home as Merrill looked around for a secure space.  “You’ll want to be warm, but not too warm.  Hmmm, we can’t have you too close to the fireplace.”  She watched as Emmy rubbed her face against the chairs, purring the entire time.  “I’ll be right back.  You just relax, okay?”

Merrill closed her door securely as she exited her home.  Looking around the alienage she found few things that would be of any help to her.  Either too big, too small, too high, lots of holes, nothing seemed fit for a miniature cave.  An idea dawned on her, and she left for Fenris’ home, using every alleyway and shortcut she could. 

Upon arrival she knocked on the door; Fenris had made it clear he didn’t like it when people simply entered, not even Hawke. When no answer came she knocked again, much harder this time.  She could hear grumbling from the other side before he opened the door. 

“Are there any boxes you wouldn’t mind parting with?” 

“Excuse me?”

“Anders gave me a pregnant cat, and she needs a box for her kittens.  I was wondering...”

“Come in.  There’s plenty to choose from.”  He stepped back, allowing Merrill to enter. 

She’d been in the mansion on a few times, and not much had changed.  The large main room was clear of all debris, and the floor looked cleaned.  “It looks much nicer in here now!  Did Hawke help you?  She said she was going to clean the place if you didn’t.”

He closed the door before following after her.  “No, Donnic helped.  He mentioned something about it to Aveline.”

“Did she hit you hard?  She’s very good at hitting.  Oh, my voice echoes in here now!” 

Rolling his eyes, “you were looking for a box?”

“Yes.  Something large enough for kittens and mamae, but not too large.  It’ll need to have an edge or something because the kittens might try climbing out.  Oh, and no extra holes because it’s going to be a den for her.”

“There are several boxes that may suit her needs.  Follow me.”  He made his way to a side door, not waiting for Merrill. 

She followed close on his heels, admiring the lack of spider webs and dust bunnies.  “You did a very good job of making this place habitable.  It was like those caves Hawke takes us to, but now it looks like a human home.  Donnic must be very good at cleaning!”

“The boxes you’re probably looking for are in the kitchen.”  He stepped aside as he opened the door, allowing Merrill to enter.  “Please be quick about it.”

“Are you practicing your dancing?  You told Varric you dance.  Is that true?  I think you would be very good at it.  Elves are good dancers.  It may have something to do with frolicking, but I don’t think you’ve ever frolicked in a field before.  You should try it sometime.”  She giggled as he rolled his eyes again.  “You do dance!”

“Get the box you need.  I have other things I need to do.”  His skin had darkened by several shades as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

It didn’t take long before she found what she was looking for.  “Would you like a kitten when they’re old enough to leave their mamae.  It could help with the mice you have here.”

“I…don’t know.  I’ve never had a cat before.   Are they anything like dogs?”

Picking up the box, “oh, they’re much easier than dogs.  Very self-sufficient and clean.  Oh, and they won’t drool all over you, or knock you over when they’re excited.  They like being warm and sleep in the sunlight.”  She followed after him as he left the room, “if you want one, I suggest you clean your windows.”  The box of choice now in hand she let herself out, giggling as she looked back and saw Fenris examining his windows. 

The sun was beginning to set when she arrived home.  “Oh, you caught a mouse!”  Emmy sat under the table with her fresh meal, looking thoroughly satisfied with herself.  “I found a box for you.  I’ll set it here in the corner by the table.  I think it’ll be warm enough for you and the kittens.  Tomorrow I’ll be gone most of the day, but I’ll come back with straw or something to make the box soft for you.  I don’t think you want the kittens getting splinters.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kittens are already getting claimed, and they're not even a day old. No one can resist them, especially with Merrill being their caretaker.

It was only a few days later when the kittens were born.  Merrill sat with Emmy, cleaning up the kittens with a soft washcloth and warm water.  After all the kittens were born Merrill carefully took care of the mess, checked on the kittens, and finally took a break for herself to eat and wash up.  There were seven kittens, three boys and four girls, two calicos, an orange tabby, two brown tabbies, a spotted black and white, and a solid grey.

“All of you will have good homes.  I hope my friends don’t fight over who gets whom, but I know Anders will want you.”  She gently touched the orange tabby.  Emmy glared at her a moment before laying her head back down.  All seven of the kittens were nursing as Merrill left the house.  “I’ll return with food for you, Emmy.  You deserve a good rest.”

She made quick work of reaching Anders, arriving at the clinic just after lunch.  She found him sitting at his makeshift desk, eating a sandwich.  “There are seven kittens, and they all look very healthy.  Emmy is relaxing in the den, and I cleaned up everything for her so she can sleep.  One of the kittens is an orange tabby, a little boy.”

Smiling, “I’ll stop by tonight to see them, if that’s alright with you.”

“Of course!  There are four girls and three boys, all very squeaky.  Emmy was purring very loudly after they were born.  I promised to bring her dinner tonight.”  Merrill smiled as Anders perked up. 

“Hawke can help you pick up some food from the market if she doesn’t have anything suitable at home.  You can give her the good news when you see her.”

“Okay.  See you tonight!”  Merrill left with a little more bounce in her walk as she took the shortcuts to Hightown.  Not bothering to knock on the door Merrill let herself in.  “Hawke, are you home?”

“Lady Merrill, what a pleasant surprise!  Hawke is dining with Isabela in the kitchen.”  Bodahn led the way, “how are you doing today?”

“I’m a little tired.  Emmy had her kittens today.”  Seeing the confused look on his face, “oh, Emmy is a cat Anders gave me to care for a couple weeks ago.  She was very pregnant, and this morning she had the kittens.”

“That’s splendid to hear!”

“Would you like one?  There are seven of them.  Anders already claimed the orange tabby, so I guess that means there are six now.”

“I’ve never had a cat before.  Sandal is rather fascinated about Frenzy.  Hmm, perhaps a kitten would be good addition to the house.”  Entering the kitchen, “Orana made cucumber sandwiches and lemonade.”

“Merrill!”  Hawke smiled and pat the seat beside her.  “I hope you’re hungry.  Orana made too much food for just the two of us.”

“I’m famished.  Emmy had the kittens this morning.”  Merrill sat down and accepted the plate offered.  “Thank you, Orana!”  Biting into one of the sandwiches Merrill all but sighed with relief.  “This is delicious!  I’ve never had cucumber sandwiches.”

“Thank you!  It’s much too hot for doing any cooking right now.  Would you like a glass of lemonade?”

“Yes, please.”  Orana filled a large glass before setting the pitcher on the table.

“Will that be all, Lady Hawke?” 

Taking the small coin bag off her belt, “yes.  Here’s some money; go treat yourself to something that makes you happy.”

“You’ve paid me already this week, my lady.  You don’t need to pay me again.”

“Orana, we talked about this.  Accept the money, go have fun, and take Bodahn and Sandal with you if you’re nervous walking around alone.”

Nodding, “thank you.”  Orana accepted the coin bag and left.  They could hear talking in the main room before the front door closed, leaving the house silent and empty but for the three women and Frenzy.

“This weather reminds me Rivain.  All I need now is a boat and the ocean breeze to cool down.” 

“You could go down to the docks.  I go there in the morning, but it’s no good in the afternoon.  The smell of fish is a little too strong.”  Merrill took a sip of the lemonade before taking several more gulps of it.  “This is delicious!  How did you get the ice?  It must be terribly expensive.”

“Anders made some for me a couple weeks ago.  I have it packaged in insulated barrels in the cellar.”  Hawke took a drink as well before finishing her sandwich and picking up another.

“That kind of magic could be very useful for other things.  Imagine that with the lightning trick.”  Isabela chuckled between bites.  “That would make for a rather intense experience.”

“He makes things shatter really well when he freezes something and hits it with lightning after.  It would be beautiful if it wasn’t so mess when the ice melts.”  Hawke and Isabela burst into fits of laughter.  “Wait, did I miss something dirty again?  I did, didn’t I?  You need to tell me when you’re being dirty so I don’t miss it.”

“Kitten, have you ever heard of the electricity trick?”

“I can make lightning.  There’s really no trick to it.  When I was with the clan I would make little lightning balls and pretend to juggle them for the children.  Is that what you’re talking about?”

The two women broken into a fit of laughter, tears running down their face.  Hawke buried her face in her arm as she smacked the table with her free hand.  Isabela laughed loudly, the sound filling the room.

Merrill ate her sandwich as she waited for the other two women to calm down.  It took several minutes, and by that time she had started on her second sandwich.  “Emmy had her kittens this morning.”

Hawke wiped the tears from her face, “how many?”

“Anders already claimed the orange tabby, which means there are now six to choose from.  He’ll be coming by tonight to check on them.  Did you want to come over too?”

“Cats are good luck on a ship.  I may claim a kitten for myself.  What colors are they?”

“Two calicos, two brown tabby, one grey, and one black and white spotted kitten.  I don’t think giving the grey one to Fenris would be a good idea.  He would never be able to see it with how drab and grey his home is.” 

“Oh, I definitely want the black and white one.  Are its whiskers white?  Those cats are probably the most adorable things I’ve ever seen.  You know what, I think I’ll come by tonight to look at them.”  Isabela sat back in her chair and drank the last of the lemonade in her glass.

“I claim one of the calicos.  I’ve always wanted a calico, and I think Frenzy would love having a cat around.”  Hawke finished her sandwich and grabbed another.  “I won’t be able to come by tonight.  Varric, Donnic, Fenris, and I are playing Wicked Grace tonight.  I think Varric is still sore about me taking the winnings last week.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This won't be strictly about kittens, I promise!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you find love in the last place you expect.

Eight weeks old and completely weened, the kittens are now ready for their new homes.  Nearly every day Merrill’s companions visited, one or two at a time, to play with their chosen kitten.

Aveline and Donnic were by far the most adorable of them.  Seeing Aveline giggle and smile like that had Merrill giggling with her.  They had chosen the brown tabbies seeing as they were so playful together.  Aveline would sit on the floor and play with both of them, smacking Donnic’s hand away when he tried picking one up.  Only when both the kittens could be next to each other would they have anything to do with a human lap.

Anders was as giddy as a child on their name day when he visited.  No matter his mood when he arrived he would leave happy.  Already he had named his kitten Copper, doing so when Aveline was present.  It brought a glare from her, but Donnic would only laugh. 

Fenris was reluctant to visit, but his defensiveness vanished when one of the calico kittens curled up in his lap.  Talking to the kitten immediately made it purr.  When Merrill pointed out his voice sound like purring he glared at her, but the kitten melted his demeanor away into softness.  He cleaned his windows immediately after meeting the kitten, even asking Merrill to do an inspection to make sure the sunlight coming in was suitable. 

Varric all but fell in love with the grey kitten.  When it fell asleep in his lap he wouldn’t move, and instead took to teaching Merrill how to play Wicked Grace and win.  He claimed that was his reason for visiting daily, but even the blind would figure out it was kitten.  Its habit of climbing up and sitting on Varric’s shoulder resulted in Isabela naming it Budgie.  According to her they’re a type of colorful bird people keep as pets in Rivain. 

Isabela was thoroughly pleased to discover the black and white kitten did indeed have white whiskers.  Thankfully the kitten didn’t take to climbing up Isabela’s leg, but it did stretch on its hind legs when she went to pick it up.  She had to remove her earrings, though, because it simply loved playing with them.  The game tug of war took on an entirely new meaning when they discovered it loved gold as much as she did.  He quickly earned the name Charmer.

Hawke didn’t visit nearly so often, tied up in whatever it was she had to do.  Being Champion seemed to require attending a lot of parties and telling any all interested men to bugger off.  Merrill was more than a little grateful when Hawke didn’t invite her to any of the parties.  

It was the middle of the afternoon on a particularly hot day when Hawke came to pick up her kitten.  All the others had been taken to their new homes, leaving a single calico and Emmy.

 Merrill wore a sundress Aveline bought for her as a thank you gift for the kittens.  It had been a little too large for her, but one of the elves in the alienage helped with altering it.  A perfect dress for such a hot day.  The neckline was a little lower than anything she’d ever worn before, but nothing near as daring as the clothes Isabela wore. 

A soft knock at the door had Merrill on her feet immediately.  Hawke stood on the other side, wearing lightweight casual clothing instead of her usual armor or leathers.  “Are you going to invite me in or just stare at me?” 

“Oh, yes, come in.  You just look so different.  I’ve never seen you wearing clothes like this.”  Merrill could feel herself blushing, or at least it felt like blushing.

“I could say the same about you.  You look adorable in that dress.  Purple is definitely your color.”  Hawke stepped inside, sighing with relief with at the cooler temperature as Merrill closed the door behind her.

“Oh.  Oh, my goodness.  I thought it was only something that happened to elves.”  Merrill simply stared after Hawke. 

Hawke turned around, gasping audibly.  “Wait a minute.  No way…”

Both their chests were glowing softly, the light pulsing gently. 

“How?  This isn’t possible.  Is it?  I mean, it’s something I’ve only ever seen among elves.  Though that’s all I lived with before.  That may be why I’ve never seen it.  But how can it be an elf and a human?”  Merrill leaned against the wall, suddenly feeling very lightheaded.

“This explains everything.  How could I have missed it?  We’ve known each other for years!”  Hawke sat down in one of the chairs, her kitten climbing up into her lap.

“It’s never been this hot before, and we’re always in armor or wearing clothing that covers our chest.  Oh, Creators…”  Merrill could feel the sting of tears in her eyes. 

“Merrill, why are you crying?”  Hawke set the kitten down and made her way to Merrill.  “Are you alright?”

“I-I don’t know.  This is entirely unexpected.  I was always taught it was the magic elves carried, that it’s what would guide us to our soulmate.  This explains so much, though.” 

“Here, let me help you.  You look like you’re about to faint.”  Hawke slipped her arm around Merrill’s narrow waist, guiding her to one of the chairs, careful to avoid stepping on the rather excited kitten.

“It’s why I could never find anyone.  The Keeper thought we simply missed one clan or another, that my soulmate was elsewhere.”  Merrill held one of Hawke’s hands, her own trembling.  “She was right.  You…you were elsewhere.”

“I was taught it was how the Maker guided us to each other, that we always found our soulmate that way.  It would prevent us from being forever alone.”  She pulled her chair over with her foot and sat across from Merrill.  “Now I know understand why Mother has been looking so defeated at those parties she keeps dragging me to.” 

Merrill sat back, releasing Hawke’s hand.  “Your mother is going to be so disappointed.  I’m so sorry, Hawke.”  Tears ran down her face.

“Why are you sorry?  There’s nothing to apologize for.”  Hawke cupped Merrill’s face in her hands. 

“I’m an elf, you’re a human.  Your mother has stated she wants you to marry a proper man, that she wants grandchildren, and she wants someone to take care of you so you can be a mother.”  Her words came faster, panic taking over her usually calm demeanor.  “I’m a woman and an elf.  Your mother wants- “

Hawke didn’t wait for her to finish.  Instead she kissed her tenderly, soft as a flower’s touch.  Merrill stiffened in shock, but only for a moment before she relaxed and returned the kiss. 

Pulling back just enough that her lips brushed over Merrill’s, “there’s nothing to apologize for.  My heart flutters when you’re near me, you make me smile no matter my mood.  My mother can complain all day and night, it doesn’t matter.  She can’t argue with the Maker and win.” 

Merrill wrapped her arms around Hawke, and sighed as she felt Hawke’s much stronger arms pull her close.  “Do you think the kitten will help her feel better?”

Hawke shook with laughter as she sat back, releasing Merrill.  “See, that’s what I mean.  You always make me smile.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suggest getting your teeth checked if you think you got any cavities from this sweetness.
> 
> I'm thoroughly pleased with this fic. Personally, I don't feel it was rushed. It has a nice pace without feeling like it's dragging. Hopefully the person I wrote it for gets a good squeal out of it because I certainly did.
> 
> Just a small thing I need to point out: I have no beta, and I can proofread to save my life. Just ignore any errors you see, okay? Thanks.


End file.
